1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a floating runway at sea with a substantially horizontal upper surface, on which aircraft can be operated during landing and takeoff.
2. Description of Background Art
From the prior art there are known aircraft carriers which comprise a runway at sea for aircraft.
This runway, however, is so short that only relatively small planes can take off and land even though aids are employed for acceleration and retardation of the planes when they take off and land respectively.
As a result of growing resistance to the building of large airports on land, due, amongst other reasons, to the strains on the environment which are involved, the difficulties of finding areas which are suitable for the purpose, e.g. close to centers of population etc., airports have been built on islands, which have been levelled, possibly raising the ground around the islands by filling with stones etc. This, however, depends on the existence of suitable islands or shallow waters in the area where an airport is required.
Aircraft carriers on the other hand can be more easily positioned and orientated. Even though at present very large ships can be built, it would appear, however, that the operation of an aircraft carrier with a runway which is large enough to be used by, e.g. large transport planes, may be problematic.
In order to obtain an acceptable length and price for such a ship, separate take-off and landing aids would probably have to be employed, which can entail limitations with regard to types of cargo. Thus it is possible that the transport of animals and the simple transport of other delicate cargo could be difficult. Moreover it appears to be doubtful whether the routine use of such ships and aids will be accepted for large passenger planes.